Nobel Prize winner Hesse's work turned into a musical, "Demian" premiered
"The bird strives to come out of its shell, the egg is the world..." The Chinese version of the musical "Demian" recently premiered at the Shanghai Grand Theater Chinese Theater and will continue until June 2. It will be performed from June 7 to June 23. Presented again on the public stage.
The musical "Demian" produced by Miao Shike is adapted from the classic work "Demian: The Wandering Boyhood" by Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse. It tells the story of Sinclair, a young man who was born in a "bright world" and accidentally Step into a completely different dark world. A boy named Demian appears and saves him from the swamp. In every moment of lonely searching and difficult choices, Demian's figure will reappear and become Sinclair's guide.
"Demian: The Wandering Boyhood" was published in 1919. Hermann Hesse deliberately made people think that the book was an autobiographical novel by the writer Sinclair. Influenced by the psychologist Jung, Hesse used many Jungian psychological concepts in his work. The book was also deeply influenced by the philosopher Nietzsche. The images in the play, such as horses and stars, all come from Nietzsche's experience.
Oh Se-hyun, director of the musical "Demian", said that one of the most touching plots in the novel is that "the soldiers charging on the battlefield all charge with the same face, and they will not leave the world with their own faces until the last moment of their lives." ""Demian" takes the scene of Sinclair being shot on the battlefield as the starting and ending point, and tells the story of what happened through the memory flashback technique after being shot. Everyone Sinclair meets could be a figment of his inner world, a face he doesn't realize he wants to have. "Face" and "shadow" have become the two key words conveyed to the audience in "Demian".
"In the darkness, a baby bird is reborn from the ashes, unwilling to perish with its fate..." "Demian" uniquely integrates music and long monologues, enriching the stage presentation in a more dramatic way. On the stage, collapsed chairs were stacked on top of each other, placed behind the piano, tables and chairs. Combined with the lighting design, the ruins projected on the characters look beautiful and mysterious. Countless fragments hang in the space together with symbolic props, including knives, roses, lanterns, rattles, hemp ropes... Each item has a unique meaning, and together they form a symbol of Sinclair's heart.
Guo Yaorong, Li Sulin, Mao Er, Xia Yang, Xu Yiran, Xiang Zheng, Yu Siran, Zhao Fanjia, Cui En'er, Liu Yixuan, Qian Mengnan, Tang Jiaming, Xu Hao, Zhong Jiacheng, Zhang Weilun and other leading actors lead the audience into Sinclair The world with Demian. The actor who plays Demian will also play the different people Sinclair encounters on his journey of growth. This is a new challenge for the performer and also brings a refreshing viewing experience. The audience walked out of the theater, thinking about their true face again, and found the firm answer in their hearts when they were confused.
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